7:00 to Chicago
by aFineMess5
Summary: Maxwell wants to expand the business, which would require CC to move, causing surprising reactions from both Niles and CC. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters of "The Nanny" but the utter lack of Niles and CC scenes throughout the series mandated that I write stories about them. The title was inspired by Kate Voegele's song "Chicago," which I don't own either.

[A/N: I promise I'm working on a sequel to "8 Days," but I had to get this out of my head first. As usual, I've completed this story and will update pending the reviews. So please R&R!]

7:00 to Chicago

"CC, I want you to truly think about this," Maxwell continued as CC gazed at his mahogany desk.

"It's an excellent business opportunity," CC said dully.

"It is," Maxwell agreed. "There's an excellent market for us and the potential for growth is huge. We've got a considerable range of contacts out there."

"Have you already discussed this with them?"

Maxwell nodded. "All positive responses. The mayor recently signed off on a great deal of grants for the arts so that can give us a substantial financial base."

CC nodded slowly. "That's true."

"But as I say, CC, give this some serious thought," Max encouraged. "I only bring this up because I've got ties here and—"

"And I don't," CC finished.

"Now, that isn't what I meant to say," Max pressed on.

Before he began telling her that his family was hers, too, CC interrupted, "But it's the truth, Maxwell. And as you said, tremendous business opportunity."

"That isn't what it's all about, though," Max told her. "There's no point going through with this if you won't be happy."

"Show me more about the theaters," CC said, abruptly changing the subject. Maxwell seemed not to notice and eagerly swiveled the laptop to show CC some properties he'd investigated.

* * *

A couple of hours later, CC left the office and walked into the foyer to retrieve her light spring jacket. She pulled the white linen frock out of the closet and slipped it over her shoulders, happy it was warm enough to wear again.

"Time for your coven meeting already, CaCa?" Niles asked.

"No, but I'm happy to see you're on your way to the Butler's Association meeting," CC said, gesturing toward the feather duster in his hand.

Niles almost opened his mouth to reply that the meetings were on Wednesdays before he recovered. "Oops!" he said, walking past her and dragging the duster across her sleeve, leaving a smudge of dust on the crisp white material.

"Niles!" CC exclaimed. She attempted to wipe it off and only succeeded in smearing it worse. "I know you don't understand the concept of money, Hazel, never having had any your entire life. But this coat cost more than what you'd make in a month and that means _paws off_."

"Paws off? But then, Miss Babcock, you shouldn't be touching it either," Niles said innocently. Glancing at CC, he saw her worriedly inspecting the smudge. "Oh, for goodness' sake, it's a little dust. I'll get it out." He walked behind her and slipped the jacket off of her, his hands grazing her arms.

She suppressed a shudder at his touch and turned, looking at him concernedly. "Niles, are you feeling all right? You just volunteered to help me out." She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, her brow furrowed.

Niles slunk out from under her touch and draped her coat over his arm. "I'll be fine if you never touch me again."

A look crossed over her eyes fleetingly as she shrugged. "Whatever," she tossed over her shoulder as she turned and exited the mansion.

* * *

CC leaned back against her black leather couch and maneuvered chicken into her mouth with the chopsticks. For the eighth time, she was looking over the business proposal Maxwell had thrown together. She could sense that Max was excited about the prospect and CC felt a vague sense of curiosity toward it, but there was something off.

Twirling the lo mein around the chopsticks, CC gnawed her lip. In terms of business, there was no better time than the present. The money was there, the backers were there, and the profit margin was considerably wider because it wasn't nearly as expensive as New York was. More than anything, though, this was the chance for CC to truly prove herself. Despite her performance as Maxwell's equal, she was still technically his subordinate. Were she given this opportunity, she would be able to prove to Maxwell and everyone else that she was just as equally capable.

Could she be happy? She'd been in plenty of situations where she hadn't known anyone before, and work was sure to keep her busy. And as Maxwell had said, she didn't have any ties here.

For a moment, CC remembered a few weeks ago when she'd attended the Broadway Guild Awards. It had been such an enjoyable evening, and things with Niles had actually been pleasant. Following that, however, Niles gave no acknowledgment of their special time together.

CC shook her head as though to shoo away the thoughts. Now was the time to focus on her career and her life, not the annoying butler.


	2. Chapter 2

[A/N: I dedicate this chapter to my lovely reviewers. I hope you enjoy.]

**Chapter 2**

Fran entered the kitchen before lunch the next day, sniffing the air curiously. "Smells delish, Niles, whatchya making?"

"Just some pasta in a garlic butter sauce, Miss Fine," Niles replied simply.

"Hmm…looks yummy," Fran said. She plucked a carrot from the pile of vegetables Niles was chopping for the side dish and hopped onto the edge of the counter nearest the sink. "Meanwhile, I thought you'd be more upset."

"Upset about what?" Niles asked, his attention half on Miss Fine and half on his chopping.

"I mean, you were moping around the whole house and eating like Ma the last time she was gone, and that was only for a week or two," Fran continued, apparently deaf to Niles' response.

Niles set down his knife and turned to the nanny. "What are you talking about?"

"Miss Babcock."

"What about the she-devil?" Niles asked, glancing over to ensure that his garlic didn't burn.

"You mean you don't _know_?"

Niles sighed irritably. "Clearly, no."

Fran looked at him blankly, struck dumb by the omniscient butler not knowing something. "Mr. Sheffield wants to start producin' in Chicago so Miss Babcock's moving there."

Niles stared at Fran for a full minute before picking up his knife and resuming his chopping. "I don't see why you thought that would bother me."

Fran crunched down on the carrot and eyed her friend beadily. "Gee, I don't know. You were eating chocolate sauce right out of the jar when she quit that one time."

"That had nothing to do with her," Niles retorted dismissively, transferring his mound of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots into a saucepan.

"Oh really? What, your doctor told ya that you had a severe cocoa bean deficiency?"

Niles glanced at her and replied in a dignified manner, "Yes, in fact. Anyhow, how'd you know about this before I did?"

"I came downstairs yesterday to tell Mr. Sheffield that Gracie really needed some 'daddy time' and that he should take me and the kids to Le Cirque to help her feel better," Fran explained. "I stopped outside the office and didn't want to barge in…sounded like a serious discussion and I didn't want to be rude."

"So you eavesdropped instead, naturally," Niles said, very tongue-in-cheek.

"Coming from the man who sits with his ear glued to the intercom," Fran shot back.

"I would never do such a thing," Niles replied stuffily, tossing a pat of butter into the garlic pan and cursing the fact that the intercom was broken yesterday.

"Whateva," Fran said, sliding off of the counter. "Just thought I'd tell you, but seeing that you don't care either way…" Fran let the sentence dangle as she pushed into the dining room and left Niles alone in the kitchen, staring gloomily at the pot of pasta.

* * *

Back in the office, Maxwell stared at CC over the tops of his glasses. "CC, have you thought any more about what we discussed yesterday?"

"Yes, I have."

"And?"

"I don't know," CC said plainly.

"You don't know," Maxwell echoed. "That's understandable. It's a rather big decision."

What concerned CC so much wasn't the decision she had to make but rather the fact that she hadn't made it yet. She'd never considered herself a particularly impulsive individual, but she was incredibly decisive. This was part of what made her such a successful businesswoman; if a problem arose, CC immediately knew what to do. If only she could transfer that skill to other aspects of her life where CC remained terribly, woefully stagnant…

"—not saying by any means that you must decide today," Maxwell continued, and CC realized with a start that her business partner hadn't stopped talking while she'd been internally interrogating her inability to make a decision. "But possibly by the end of the week."

"End of the week?" CC repeated weakly. "Maxwell, we just began talking about this…"

"We've been talking about expanding the business for a while now, CC," Maxwell reminded her. "In fact, I believe it was your idea."

CC nodded and acquiesced, "All right. By the end of the week, I'll let you know." Her throat suddenly dry, CC stood and mumbled something about getting a bottle of water. CC took the long way to the kitchen, walking past the terrace and by the open windows, enjoying the spring breeze on her bare arms.

She pushed her way into the kitchen and saw Niles cooking at the stove. Uninvited thoughts swirled through her brain about Niles' reaction to her departure. She shoved these aside as she opened the subzero with more force than necessary and pulled out a bottle of water. She uncapped it and gulped it down, washing away useless ponderings about the butler.

"Practicing for the streets?" Niles asked, watching her throat move as it swallowed copious amounts of water.

CC pulled the bottle away from her lips with a squelching sound. "What?" she asked breathlessly.

"I said, practicing for the streets? I'm sure you'll get more customers in Chicago," Niles said. "They don't have nearly as many transvestites as they do here, so the novelty alone should warrant you a few grand."

CC stared at him, at a complete loss for words. "How did you know about Chicago?" she asked finally, deciding on a less combative route for conversation.

"So it's true?" he asked coolly, absentmindedly stirring butter into the vegetables.

"It's not decided yet," she replied, her voice as cool as his. "And how did you find out? Does Maxwell tell you all about his day while you're giving him a scrub-down?"

"Jealous?" Niles shot back. CC rolled her eyes. "And Miss Fine overheard you discussing it."

"She knows, too? I'm surprised she hasn't already thrown a party in celebration," CC said.

Niles paused. "The flow of our repartee doesn't work so well when you insult yourself."

CC shrugged. "I was a pro at it long before you started in on me."

The butler turned back to his cooking, as uncomfortable and almost guilt-ridden as he always got whenever he realized how unconfident she was. "So are you going?" he tossed carelessly into the air, staring at the garlic-butter sauce.

The silence hung between them, thick with meaning that was entirely lost on the two oblivious blondes.

"I…I don't know," CC said uncertainly, fiddling with the half-empty water bottle. "I've got until the end of the week to decide."

"End of the week? That's considerate of him to give you ample time," Niles said sarcastically.

"Well, you know Maxwell…"

Niles carried the heavy pot of pasta over to the sink, pouring it into the strainer and feeling overly annoyed with his boss. However he, Niles, mistreated CC was his own business, yet it always vexed him how Maxwell took CC for granted. _No,_ Niles amended furiously in his mind, _how he takes all of his employees for granted_. Content with his own delusions, Niles shook the remaining water off of the pasta.

He glanced up at the other half of Sheffield-Babcock productions, surprised that she was still standing there. She looked uncertain, as though she was not sure what to say or do.

"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes," Niles said.

CC jumped as though brought back to the present. She nodded at Niles in a vague way and exited the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

[A/N: Thanks to the (few) who reviewed. As usual, I dedicate this to you...it helps fuel my creative energy to work on my sequel to "8 Days." Enjoy!]

**Chapter 3**

Niles stood near the front door, perched on the edge of the step leading to the sunken foyer. He held a jacket protected with plastic lightly in his hand, looking off across the living room. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was nearing 5:30, the usual time of departure. He stepped closer to the closet door, resting his hand lightly on the handle.

As soon as he spied her crossing the threshold into the living room, talking to Maxwell over her shoulder, Niles whipped open the closet and hovered the hanger a few inches above the rod.

He glanced casually over his shoulder as she approached, saying lightly, "Oh, it's you. Here's your jacket." He tossed it carelessly to her, closing the closet door as he did so. Surprised, she caught the jacket by the plastic wrap and looked at it.

"You had it dry-cleaned?"

"Had to. Bloody linen jacket," Niles muttered.

"Well, that was…surprisingly nice of you, Niles," CC said to him. Clearing her throat, she added, "If you weren't so carefree with your feather duster, you wouldn't have had to do anything."

Niles cocked an eyebrow at her. "You only wish I were so carefree with my feather duster."

Rolling her eyes, CC stepped toward the door and pulled it open. Looking back at the butler with a wicked smile playing on her lips, she retorted, "You only wish I gave you the chance to be."

Niles' jaw dropped in shock and he felt a jolt in his stomach when CC's cackle echoed in the vestibule after she'd shut the door behind her.

* * *

Later that evening, CC sat on her couch in her gray sweatpants. Her hair tied in a knot on the top of her head, she perched her black-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose and set aside her Lean Cuisine. Hovering her fingertips over the keyboard of her laptop, she visited the site Maxwell had recommended for penthouse properties in Chicago.

Chester trotted over curiously, standing on his hind legs and propping himself up with his paws on the edge of the coffee table. He leaned forward and sniffed the cardboard container of CC's dinner, where a lone noodle dangled over the edge. Chester sniffed it once more, glanced at CC, and galloped off to his own food bowl.

"My thoughts exactly, little buddy," CC told him as she scrolled down the page of listings.

Leaning over, CC grasped the microwave meal and leaned back against her couch. Grimacing in distaste, CC thought back with a pang to the delicious lunch Niles had prepared that day. Amazing, really, how he could take simple ingredients and prepare something so delectable.

"I guess that's one thing I'd miss," CC admitted aloud grudgingly. Chester walked back over to her, hopping onto the couch alongside her. He looked at her almost knowingly, cocking his head to one side. "Don't give me that look, Chester. We might be moving soon."

Chester turned away from her and lay down, facing the arm of the couch. CC amused herself with thinking he was protesting the thought of moving to a strange city.

"Oh, come on, Chester, think of all the trees you could pee on," CC said, returning to her soggy dinner and choking it down.

Truly, though, CC still struggled with the decision. She was, after all, the one who had originally suggested expanding Sheffield-Babcock Productions. What had she thought would happen? Maxwell would pack up his children and butler and move to the Windy City? It certainly made more sense for CC to move and yet…something held her back.

Shrugging, CC told herself she'd figure it out by the end of the week and pulled her laptop toward her, browsing through more penthouses.

* * *

The following day, CC entered the penthouse with Chester at her heels. While CC crouched down to unleash her dog, Niles took the opportunity to admire her bare legs in the black pencil skirt she wore that day. As soon as she unhooked the leash from his collar, Chester took off to explore the familiar territory of the Sheffield mansion.

"Really prepping for that street corner in Chicago, aren't you, Babcock?" Niles asked.

CC stood up fully, looking at Niles haughtily. "What are you talking about?"

He gestured to her black stilettos. "They certainly take attention away from your man-calves."

"Oh please," CC said with a laugh bubble in her throat as she fully entered the foyer. "You've lived with Nanny Fine for the last four years and you think _these_ are bad?"

Niles shrugged and watched as her calf muscles flexed when she walked to the table in the foyer, depositing her purse there.

"Anyway, why do you keep bringing up Chicago? I assumed you'd be in full-on planning mode for my going-away celebration with Nanny Fine and the children," CC said, turning to him.

"You're my poison, Babcock, and my system's gotten used to it," Niles explained. "If the toxin suddenly disappeared, it could be hazardous to my health. Just preparing."

If CC hadn't known better, she'd think there was a compliment hidden behind the layers of soft sarcasm. She began walking toward the kitchen and replied, "In that case, I'll be sure to leave."

Niles followed to prepare her morning coffee, trying to ignore the way her skirt hugged her hips.

CC walked over to the island and stood expectantly, watching as Niles grabbed the coffee pot and a mug. Steam billowed from the mug as he poured CC's daily dose of caffeine into a large green mug. He expertly poured the creamer into it, following it with a spoonful of sugar. Just as CC opened her mouth to ask for a little more sugar, Niles added a bit more to the mug. Stirring the coffee, he never noticed her smile.

He slid the mug over to her and stared at her when she didn't grab the mug and leave the kitchen immediately. Acting on his hunch, he asked simply, "Chicago?"

It was CC's turn to shrug. She sipped the hot coffee, closing her eyes momentarily as it awoke her senses. "I'm not sure."

"Big decision," Niles granted, walking over to the dishes piled in the sink from breakfast. "If you had any friends, I'd suggest you talk to them about it."

"At least that would make it easier to leave," CC said reasonably. "Not having many friends."

Niles gave her a look. "What about all of those high society women you socialize with?"

CC made a face as she stared at a fixed spot on the wall. "I hate them all."

Niles recalled Fran making the same remark about women with whom she occasionally spent time. "Why do you spend time with them, then?"

"Clearly I'm a masochist. Look who I'm talking to right now," CC said, gesturing vaguely in Niles' direction.

"Fair point. Talk to them about leaving."

"They'd only care about the empty property I'd be leaving behind."

"Lovely women. Talk to Mr. Sheffield," Niles suggested.

CC laughed harshly. "He'd give me the most noncommittal, useless advice."

"True. Talk to Miss Fine."

"Talk to Miss Fine about what?" Fran asked excitedly, hopping into the kitchen from the stairs. She flopped over to CC in her fluffy robe and slippers, her hair piled atop her head.

Broken from her trance, CC pivoted and faced the nanny. "About the possibility of moving to Chicago."

"Aw, Miss Babcock, you shouldn't leave," Fran said.

For a moment, CC felt a warm, comforting feeling near her heart.

Then Fran opened her mouth again.

"I'd miss Chester so much!" the nanny exclaimed, squatting and scooping up the fluffy Pomeranian who had followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen.

CC's eyes dimmed slightly and Niles stared at her. He looked away when CC turned to him and he bent over the open dishwasher, loading plates pell-mell into it. He heard the blonde say, "Well, I should get to work," and listened as her heels clacked loudly on the floor as she walked away.

Niles righted himself and jumped slightly when he saw Fran staring at him intently. "What?" he asked, alarmed.

"I saw that."

"Saw what?"

"The look you gave her when I said I'd miss Chester," Fran elaborated.

"The mocking, jeering look I usually give her?"

"No, a sweet, pitying look," she told him.

"Well, it wasn't a very nice thing to say," Niles reasoned, dropping a fork into the silverware holder of the dishwasher.

"And it isn't really like you to stand up for her, either," she said knowingly, shuffling out of the kitchen with Chester in her arms.

* * *

True to his word, Maxwell hadn't bothered CC about Chicago until the end of the week. Near the end of the day on Friday, Maxwell shuffled the papers pointlessly on his desk and braced himself.

"So…ah…CC," Maxwell began, clearing his throat. "Have you reached a decision about expanding our business to Chicago?"

CC stretched her time to answer by pressing her red lips together and glancing out onto the terrace where Niles stood, watering the flowers. The droplets of water caught the sunlight streaming onto the terrace and CC watched as Niles' strong arms hoisted the watering can above his head to reach some of the hanging plants. The sun brought out hidden strands of golden blonde hair on his head. CC had never noticed how many different shades of color his hair had.

"CC?"

She tore her eyes away from the strangely captivating images on the terrace and turned to her business partner. "Yes, Maxwell, I've reached my decision."

"Which is?" Maxwell asked as patiently as he could.

"Yes, I'll go."

"Fantastic, CC!" Maxwell stood, walked around his desk, and gave his business partner a friendly hug. As Maxwell let go and began jabbering about the theater districts in Chicago, an unconscious force caused CC to look out onto the terrace, where all she saw was a lone watering can, dripping water listlessly onto the stone wall.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

CC left the office shortly after informing Maxwell of her decision, carrying a stack of papers outlining potential backers in the Chicago area. She called for Chester, who immediately came running down the sweeping staircase. She hooked his leash onto his collar and stood in the foyer as though waiting for something. It wasn't until the boy walked into the living room from the kitchen and asked CC what she was waiting for that she left, feeling almost as though she'd forgotten something.

Walking a ways down the street and sliding into her Mercedes, where Chester immediately hopped onto her lap, CC sat for a few silent moments. Ever since she'd officially decided on moving to Chicago, at approximately 11:47 pm the previous evening, she'd had the highly disconcerting feeling that she was forgetting something or else had left something unfinished. In fact, she'd been a full, horrifying twenty minutes late to work that morning because she'd walked through her entire penthouse, ensuring that the hair straightener was unplugged and stove turned off.

She slid her keys into the ignition and felt the engine rumble to life smoothly beneath her. Weaving the seatbelt between her torso and her dog, CC clicked it into place and slid into traffic, beginning her commute home.

As she entered her penthouse some twenty-five minutes later, she was surprised to hear her landline ringing. Her phone usually only rang when the front desk in the lobby called to say she had a visitor and as she'd been down there mere minutes ago, she knew it couldn't be them.

"Hello?"

"Hiya, Miss Babcock!" the nanny's unmistakable nasal voice exclaimed loudly.

Wincing slightly, CC pulled the receiver a few inches away from her ear. "Hello, Nanny Fine."

"I hear you're moving ta Chicago," Fran said.

"Yes. I'm taking Chester with me, sorry," CC told her.

"Well, I figured you would. That's not why I'm calling," Fran replied, sounding slightly disappointed all the same. "We should have a party!"

"Didn't take long," CC muttered under her breath.

"Heh?"

"Nothing. I don't think a party is necessary."

"Miss Babcock, you should never deny a Jewish woman the opportunity to have a catered event," Fran told her wisely.

CC sighed, knowing the party would probably be more for Fran anyhow. "All right. Let's have a party."

* * *

One week later, ten days before she was due to begin the moving process, CC exited the office and entered the unrecognizable foyer; a long, draped table stood against the far wall and cardboard boxes littered the floor. Niles wove through the maze of boxes to set several silver platters on the table, neither greeting nor acknowledging CC. He hadn't paid much attention to her during the past week, actually, but CC attributed this to how busy he was in planning the party. CC couldn't recall him ever putting so much work into a planning an event before but, CC thought somewhat sadly, he'd probably never been so excited for an event before, either.

"All these boxes, it looks like my penthouse in here," CC said in a lame attempt at striking up a conversation.

"Really? It can't be that difficult to pack up decaying youth, can it?" Niles tossed to her.

CC ignored this and continued, "You've been pretty busy with this party."

"Ever since you told Miss Fine to have this party, she's stuck me with all of the work," Niles said bitterly.

"I don't really see the need to have a going-away party."

"Then you never should have said anything," Niles snapped, knocking over a few boxes as he hastily departed the foyer.

For a few insane seconds, CC thought of following Niles and demanding that he talk to her; when her right mind returned to her, CC wondered why she wanted him to talk to her so badly. Eventually deciding that the enormous change she was about to embark upon was affecting her nerves, CC left the mansion to prepare herself for the party tomorrow.

Niles stormed into the kitchen and kicked aside an empty box; at least, he'd thought it was an empty box. Cursing loudly as he heard glass shatter, Niles gingerly stepped over to the box and lifted it, seeing two broken cups inside.

"Everything ok?" Fran called down the back staircase.

"It's fine," Niles replied, more roughly than he ought to, perhaps, since Fran decided the situation needed more of her attention.

"What happened, Niles?" she asked as she walked up to him.

"I ran into a box when I walked back into the kitchen, Miss Fine," Niles replied, holding up the box with glass shards as proof.

Fran nodded quietly, noticing her friend's clenched fists and reddened cheeks. "Did you and Miss Babcock have a fight or something?" she asked tentatively.

"No, we haven't fought," said Niles brusquely.

"No," Fran said gently, "no, you haven't. In fact, you haven't even talked to her this week, have you?" Niles ignored this as he grabbed the broom propped against the wall behind him and began sweeping up glass, but Fran noticed his back had tensed up.

"Miss Fine, we should probably look over the menu for tomorrow," Niles said to his dustpan in a desperate attempt to get Fran off of her current topic, even though they'd already discussed the menu at least fifteen times that week.

Fran watched her friend sympathetically and dropped the subject. "Ok. Do you have everything you need? I can run to the store tonight if you'd like."

Niles' back unclenched as he stood and emptied the dustpan into the garbage, explaining to Fran the dishes he'd already started preparing.

* * *

Niles awoke at 5 am the next morning, bemoaning the massive amount of food he needed to prepare for that evening's party. He quickly showered and dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. Venturing into the kitchen, he turned on the lights and squinted slightly at the sudden loss of darkness. He glanced at the menu for that evening's party, grabbing a pen and crossing out what he'd already created, which was either chilling in the refrigerator or freezer.

Niles enjoyed a few hours of silence as he threw himself into the cooking and baking, appreciating how much it took his mind off of things. Things, Niles mused, that came in the shape of a leggy blonde with a sharp tongue and soft mouth. He shook his head, attempting to stem the flow of all things Babcock to his brain, but this was made much more difficult by the fact that he was preparing all of her favorite foods.

Around 7:30, Niles placed a call to iHop for the usual family breakfast so that he needn't be bothered with cooking and cleaning up an entire meal for the family. Fran sauntered downstairs near 8, fully clothed and offering to pick up breakfast. Niles smiled gratefully as he pulled a marbled chocolate-and-peanut butter cheesecake from the oven.

Fran stopped in her tracks and stared at the beautiful confection. "Or…ya know…you could go pick up breakfast and I could stay here…watch over the tasty treats…"

Niles smiled and shook his head. "I know better than that. And don't try to trick me into leaving. You gave me the crash course on Defending Against Sylvia Fine—I can use it on you," he reminded her firmly.

Fran gritted her teeth and made an impatient gesture with her hands. "A genius, I'm not. I knew I shouldn't have taught them to you. Ya _neva_ teach that to the guy who knows how to make cheesecake." Fran smacked herself in the forehead while Niles chuckled. "The food looks great, though. Miss Babcock's gonna love it."

"She ought to; she forced me to ban this cheesecake from my kitchen after I prepared it for her twenty-sixth birthday and she ate half of it in one sitting," Niles said, smiling reminiscently. He carefully removed the sides from the spring-form pan and allowed the cake to cool, continuing to remember how excited she'd been for the treat. She'd even playfully fed Niles a bite of it before grabbing the entire cake and hurrying away from Sara, who kept trying to weasel another slice from her friend. To his utter disgust with himself, Niles felt his eyes water and he quickly turned around to the stove, fiddling unnecessarily with the empty pots on top of it.

Fran watched this entire scene play out and felt her heart break inside. She held one hand to her chest as she walked closer to her friend, placing a consoling hand on his arm. "Niles—"

"You'll want to get the breakfast, Miss Fine," Niles said, his voice gravelly. He cleared it and walked away from her, muttering about checking something in the living room.

* * *

CC checked herself once more in the mirror: she'd pinned one side of her sleek blonde hair away from her face with a beautiful Swarovski hair pin her father had given her a few years ago; her coral silk organza halter dress tastefully showed off her shoulders and legs and wickedly showed off more cleavage than she usually dared to show; and her matching coral strappy heels completed the ensemble. For once, CC wanted to outshine Nanny Fine. The coral brought out the pink in her cheeks and for the first time in a long while, CC felt pretty.

"Come on, Chester," she told her pup, slinging him into her arms. "You're probably the one everyone will want to say goodbye to, anyhow." CC had dressed him for the occasion in a green-and-white striped t-shirt; he, too, looked adorable.

She exited her penthouse and drove to the mansion, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. Her stomach had been churning anxiously all day; she wished she could say it was something she ate but she hadn't eaten much the past week. Given Niles' newfound bitterness towards her, CC hadn't felt comfortable to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner with the family, and her culinary experiences had declined considerably.

Parking near the Sheffield residence, CC climbed out of her car and carried Chester to the door. She let herself in and set the pup down, impressed with the array of food set up in the foyer. Niles walked down the hall curiously, looking around to see who had entered.

"Oh. It's you."

CC surveyed him, wondering how touchy he'd be after a full day of preparing for the festivities. "I'm the guest of honor, Niles. Shouldn't you greet me a little more enthusiastically?"

"Hi, Chester!" Niles exclaimed, crouching down to pet the dog, who hopped excitedly at the attention. Niles stood and looked back at CC, emotionless. "Like that?"

She sighed and walked further into the foyer, her heels clicking loudly on the parquet floor. "I guess."

Niles walked over to her, still maintaining a safe distance. "You look…very nice." He didn't think "very nice" covered it adequately, but of the many adjectives Niles thought of to describe the blonde in front of him, 80% revealed too much of what he truly thought of her and 20% were just downright inappropriate to say given the possibility of Grace overhearing him.

"Very nice?" CC repeated, frowning slightly. "I was going for a little more than that. Either way, I wish I could say the same about you, Butler Boy. Thanks for dressing up for the party."

"I was cooking all day and you're early, in any case," Niles said defensively.

"I should hope so. I'm the only one here," CC said, walking around Niles and peering into the living room. "Who all did Nanny Fine invite, by the way?"

The ringing doorbell brought its own answer, as Niles hopped onto the step and opened it to reveal a gaggle of Nanny Fine's family and friends. They entered the manse in one massive conglomeration of nasal voices and neon spandex, ignoring CC as they swarmed past her to the food table. She stood in the mass of chattering people, feeling remarkably the same way she'd felt at the grammar school dance when she was taller than all the boys and richer than all the girls, so everyone had ignored her.

She pushed through the people to Niles, whom she fixed with a furious stare. "_This_ is my party? A busload of Fines?"

Niles gnawed his lip nervously as he realized that he, in fact, did not know whom Fran had invited. "No, of course not. They just arrived first. Excuse me, Miss Babcock, I must go change."

He hurried upstairs and changed quickly into gray pants and a navy polo, sliding his feet into his brown dress shoes and running a comb through his hair. Spritzing a bit of cologne onto his neck, Niles left his room and went back downstairs to check on the food supply.

Thankfully, more people had arrived but, again, no one was talking to CC, who stood in the corner of her own party, clutching a glass of wine and looking slightly sick. Niles made up a plate for her and wove through the crowd, handing it to her.

"I'm not hungry," she refuted.

"Just eat, Babcock, I know you haven't all week," Niles frustratedly said.

Without asking how he knew this, CC took the plate and speared a cube of cheese with a toothpick. "This is absolutely pathetic."

Feeling his heart deflate slightly, Niles asked, "The food?"

"No, this party."

"How so?" Niles asked, already knowing the answer.

CC fixed him with a look. "Please, Niles. This looks like an after-party for a bar mitzvah." She pointed to a large banner slung between the pillars leading into the piano room. "I can't even read what that says."

Niles looked at the banner, fighting back an instinctive laugh. "I believe it says…'bon voyage,' but in Hebrew."

In spite of herself, CC laughed and shook her head, continuing to work on her food plate.

Fran walked down the sweeping staircase, pausing halfway down to throw open her arms in a characteristic gesture. Sure enough, most of the patrons greeted Fran loudly and excitedly, fawning over her short, blue-sequined gown. CC made a noise of disgust and slipped away from Niles' side.

Niles elected to make his way toward the staircase, where he grabbed Fran's wrist and wrenched her off of the stairs. "Did you invite _any_ of Miss Babcock's friends?"

Fran chewed on her pinky nail. "Well…eh…I couldn't think of any."

"You couldn't think of any? Why didn't you swipe her address book or ask Mr. Sheffield?"

"She caught me going through her purse earlier in the week and thought I was stealing money from her, so she threatened to call the cops!" Fran told him. "And Mr. Sheffield could only think of business associates and they…eh…were busy."

Niles, who knew how CC conducted business, highly doubted that excuse. "So the only people invited here are your friends and family?"

"No, I invited CC's dad and brother! I asked Noel to invite her sister, but he said she was vacationing in the south of France," Fran explained. "And her dad advised me to not invite CC's mother. And…eh…I don't think her dad and brother are coming, either."

"That's it?" Niles asked, his shoulders falling. Apart from everything else, he hadn't counted on a house full of Fines and their friends from Queens; he doubted the food would last past 8 pm.

"Well, what would you have done?" Fran whined plaintively. "You know she hates her sorority sisters and I don't think she's friends with her neighbors. The only friend I've heard her talk about is…"

"Sara," Niles supplied.

"Yeah," Fran said uncomfortably. "Look, it won't be so bad. The kids are here, Mr. Sheffield's here, we're here. Miss Babcock will have fun."

* * *

[A/N: That's probably a horrible place to end a chapter, but I didn't want it all to end in 4 chapters. Worry not; it'll all be over soon...]


	5. Chapter 5

[A/N: I dedicate this final chapter to everyone who read and/or reviewed. I hope you enjoyed. For those who might be curious, I'm nearing the end to my sequel for "8 Days," so that should be posted soon as well.]

**Chapter 5**

Three hours later and Niles' prediction proved to be false: the food supply had lasted until 9, when the only remaining thing on the linen-covered serving table was the platter of vegetables though, mysteriously, the vegetable dip in the middle of the tray was completely empty.

Niles spotted CC sitting on the overstuffed chair in the living room, where a small group of old women conversed nearby. He walked over to her and sat on the arm of the chair. "Having fun?"

She looked up at him blankly. "You ran out of vodka."

"Here, come with me," Niles said, reaching down and grabbing her hand. He pulled her up and marched her through the living room, hallway, and dining room until he halted in the kitchen. He slipped his hand from hers and CC felt her hand convulsively clench upon the air as though sad for its loss.

Niles opened the subzero and pulled the chocolate-and-peanut-butter cheesecake from the back of the fridge. "Here you go, Babcock."

CC smiled when she saw it, immediately remembering that fateful birthday when she'd gained at least 5 pounds from dessert alone. "You remembered."

Niles looked at her seriously. "One doesn't forget seeing someone swallow an entire cheesecake whole."

"It wasn't like that…but it wasn't far from that, either," CC admitted. Niles set the cheesecake on the counter and ventured to the other side of the kitchen to retrieve his spare cake knife. He turned around a few moments later to see CC sitting on the counter and cutting into the cheesecake with a fork, her bare feet swinging carelessly back and forth while her heels lay on the floor beneath her, abandoned.

"Try not to eat all of it, Babcock," Niles said, walking back toward her. "I don't fancy having to use a crane-lift to get you out of here."

"Ide oncah tisdel eshus," CC retorted with a stuffed mouth.

Niles stared at her until she swallowed the enormous bite. "What's that, again?"

"I don't care, this is delicious," CC repeated. "I should hit you for breaking the rules like this, though. I thought I banned this from the house six years ago."

"You did. But I figured I might as well make it one last time, since you're leaving and everything," Niles said, staring at the floor. His elevated mood from the party dissipated immediately, leaving a dull, vague ache. What was _wrong_ with him? When he looked up moments later, he found CC picking at the dessert mournfully with her fork.

"Can you blame me?" she asked suddenly.

"For what?"

"For leaving. Look at this party, Niles," she said. "I've lived in New York almost my entire life, and the only people who show up for my going-away party are people who don't even know me."

Niles considered pointing out that Val, Sylvia, Yetta, and Fred the pharmacist knew her, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted to hear. "I suppose leaving Miss Fine in charge of the invitations wasn't the best idea."

"Oh, please. If you'd been in charge, the only guests who would have shown up would have been the neighborhood dogs," CC said. Niles laughed at the image and instantly enraged CC. She pushed the cheesecake away from her, the fork falling with a clatter, and jumped off the counter. She showed every intention of storming out of the kitchen barefoot when she suddenly stopped and began hopping on the spot, holding her left foot gingerly in the air.

Niles stepped forward and watched her lean against the kitchen wall, pivoting her foot around to glance at the bottom. When she saw a small pool of blood forming, she instantly began hopping again, shrieking and wailing about tetanus shots.

"Miss Babcock, if you'll just stand still—" Niles attempted, stepping closer to her. CC continued bounding around on one foot and nearly lost her balance, flailing her arms in the air to regain it and whacking Niles' face in the process. She gasped when she realized what she'd done and nearly fell over again.

"Lunatic woman, calm down!" Niles exclaimed. He hurried towards her, grasped her waist in both hands, and lifted her effortlessly back on top of the counter. CC felt her stomach dip and knew it wasn't nausea from seeing blood that caused it.

Niles lifted her foot to see it better, cradling her ankle in one hand and tipping her foot back with the other. "There's a tiny piece of glass in your foot. I'll get it out." He gently let go of her leg and walked into the butler's pantry to fetch the small first-aid kit there. He walked purposefully back into the kitchen and lifted CC's leg again, ignoring how erotic this position could be given different circumstances. He wondered if CC was thinking the same thing, noting how her cheeks looked flushed and how she looked away from him when he glanced at her.

He pulled the piece of glass out and disinfected the cut, noticing CC's small toes curl when it undoubtedly began to sting. Daubing the cut with Neosporin, Niles covered it with a bandage and pat the top of CC's foot.

"All clear."

She crossed her ankles and continued rocking them back and forth. "Do they teach first aid in Butler Academy?"

"No, it comes along with the job of raising three children," Niles replied, taking the kit back into the pantry. "Have some more of the cheesecake before Sylvia smells it in the air."

CC nodded, picking up her fork again and taking a small bite. "Niles, how can someone live someplace for so long and still have no one?"

His eyes widened at the vulnerability evident in her voice. "You have people, Miss Babcock."

"Don't humor me, he who constantly mocks my lack of friends."

"You aren't the type surrounded by people everyday, true, but neither am I."

"Don't even compare. You've got Nanny Fine, and the kids adore you, and you've got Maxwell, and…" CC broke off, about to say "me." She cleared her throat and continued, "And you have people back in England. You're very loved, Niles. It's obvious."

"So are you," he said gruffly.

CC shook her head, worrying her lower lip. "I don't even know why I gave moving a second thought. There's nothing for me here."

Warring with himself for approximately five seconds, Niles said bluntly, "You have me."

Snapping her head up to stare at him directly, she surveyed him through her sad blue eyes. "Yes, we insult each other—"

"We're more than that."

She stared at him. "We aren't friends."

"No," Niles admitted, shaking his head, "but we're…" He stopped himself short of saying "more than that." Were they?

The two stared at each other in the kitchen three feet apart, she on the counter and he standing in front of her, the air between them thick with what they weren't saying. Simultaneously, they began to speak:

"Do you want me to leave?"

"You shouldn't leave."

They both froze, looking at each other, and said at the same time, "What?"

"What did you say?" CC asked.

"What did _you_ say?" Niles returned.

Rephrasing slightly, CC asked, "Do you think I should leave?"

Niles watched her staring at him carefully, wondering how to answer the question he'd asked himself for the past two weeks. No, he didn't want to her to leave. Of course he didn't. But he knew how badly she wanted to prove herself to Maxwell.

Weighing his words carefully, Niles responded, "I think it could be beneficial for your career to produce shows outside of Mr. Sheffield's shadow…"

CC knew him well enough to know that there was more he wanted to say, and yet she wasn't sure if she wanted to press it.

They stood in silence several moments longer, their eye contact eventually breaking. Finally CC slid off of the counter and put her heels back on, taking extra care with her left foot.

"You know," she began robustly, "when I think about moving, I feel like I'm missing something, almost as though I've forgotten something. But then I think about what I'm leaving behind here and it's…nothing, I guess." She finished lamely, gesturing pointlessly in midair. Her arm fell limply against her side as she made to move past Niles and rejoin the dwindling party.

In an instant, Niles grabbed her arm, spun her around, and pushed her against the kitchen wall next to the swinging door. He kissed her feverishly, plundering her mouth as his own, pouring his overwhelming feelings that he could never manage to put into words into the kiss.

The kiss' intensity was such that it was a while before CC regained herself and moved against him, pulling him closer to her and wordlessly begging him to give her something she didn't yet realize she needed.

Then it was over, he'd released her, backed off, and stared at her, his chest heaving slightly.

"If you left," he began, his voice faintly hoarse, "you'd be leaving something behind."

CC brought her fingertips to her buzzing lips, not looking away from Niles yet not quite looking at him, either. "But…what would I be leaving behind, exactly?"

This time it was Niles who gestured pointlessly in the air. "I don't know. It's been how many years, and I still don't know."

"Shouldn't we know by now?" CC asked quietly, and Niles wondered if she was presenting the question to him or to herself.

"If you leave, we never will."

He stepped closer to her once more, made brazen by the thought that this might be his one chance to convince the entirely un-convince-able Babcock. He brought his hand up to her face, gently pushing the hair that had fallen out of the pin behind her ear. Leaning forward slightly, he pressed a light kiss to her cheek. The kindness and sweetness of this gesture quaked her remaining resolve and tears began to flood her eyes.

When Niles noticed this, he pulled her gently forward and enveloped her in his arms. He held her as he had never been able to before, amazed by how delicate she could feel. Slowly her arms snaked around his middle and he held her tighter, inhaling the scent of her hair. The singular rightness of their embrace proved to him, as nothing else ever had before, how much he felt for the woman in his arms.

"But, Niles," CC said into his shoulder, ending the hug and sliding her arms away from him. "I don't know if I can put my life on hold just because there's a possibility that something might happen here. I…I don't know if that's fair to me."

Niles looked at her, bewildered. He wanted to kiss her again, to prove the spark between them; he wanted to shake her and yell that there was more than a possibility, it was an actuality; he wanted to tell her that _not_ seeing what could happen between them would be more than just unfair to both of them, it would be a gross miscarriage of justice that could surely warrant some sort of lawsuit; he wanted to remind her that life was bleak and meaningless unless they experienced it together. As the seconds ticked past, Niles wanted just to say _something_, anything at all, and yet speech seemed to be failing him.

The wry part of his brain told him that naturally, in the moment when he truly needed to convince her, he would stand there like some sort of mute while she slipped away. And yet another part of his brain, the part that understood CC Babcock as well as she could be understood, told him that any words he could think of would be utterly futile because CC needed to convince herself.

And so he let her leave the kitchen without a fight.

* * *

Monday began as sluggishly as the rest of the weekend had gone for Niles; Saturday had slid into Sunday in a haze of confusion and self-loathing. No one had asked where the party girl had gone off to, as most hadn't remembered it was a party for CC to begin with. He had a nagging suspicion that Fran wanted to talk to him, but she showed unexpected restraint in only discussing with him how well the party had gone and gossip that stemmed from it.

Over and over he tried to convince himself that he'd done the right thing, that CC would have only balked against his insistence and become more stubborn the longer he kept trying to convince her not to leave. Deep down, he knew this was true, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he ought to have fought for her.

His mind's eye became the most loathsome thing, as it kept presenting him with captivating situations in which he had gone after CC and demanded that she stay, each scenario inevitably culminating with their naked bodies entwined in his bed.

Worst of all, however, was the daunting realization that he had no idea when he'd see her next. If she truly had the task of setting up another theater production business, Niles knew it would be a long, long time from now. Every time he arrived at this conclusion, the miserable butler felt a weight drop into his stomach and a crackling thundercloud loom over his head.

Only the desire for normalcy caused him to go about his daily business on Monday, cooking breakfast and serving it to the family. It really was a wondrous thing to him, that they could sit and eat and laugh as though nothing had changed.

Just as Niles realized how dreadfully boring his workdays were about to become, the doorbell rang and Niles thanked the momentary distraction. He hustled through the hallway and foyer, opening the door to the most beautiful sight.

CC Babcock sauntered into the foyer, resplendent in a blue and white dress, and held out her jacket for Niles, who took it automatically. She beamed at him brightly while he stared back, perplexed.

"Aren't you moving today?" he asked finally, shutting the front door.

"Well," CC began, still with a dazzling smile on her face, "after discussing it with Maxwell over the weekend, and showing him a report about other playwrights' successes versus Andrew Lloyd Weber's in Chicago, he and I decided it might not be the most fiscally responsible business move right now. And besides, do you know what wind does to my hair?"

Niles still stood next to the door, clutching her jacket in one hand and the doorknob in another.

"So if you could just bring me my coffee to the office, Butler Boy," CC said, turning on her heel and starting to walk away. Apparently remembering something, she spun back around and walked back to Niles, stepping up to meet him. She grabbed his tie and held onto it loosely, playfully swinging it back and forth. "And it turns out, it _is_ fair for me to discover the…possibilities…of remaining in New York."

With that, she tugged on his tie and pulled his face to hers, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss against his lips.

She gave him another glittering smile before turning and ambling into the office. Niles grinned to himself, hanging up her jacket and moving to the kitchen to begin preparing her coffee.


End file.
